Friday, May 8, 2015

Hummingbird Feeders-My Experiences

I thought I would share my opinion on hummingbird feeder designs this morning. As you know I feed allot of hummingbirds seems like more each year but I think the young may return with their parents to the same area, and we live right in the migratory route as well. Over the years I have tried lots of different feeders. They can be expensive too, but I search out garage sales and flea markets. I have found a few handmade pottery ones that they love, and also those beautiful handblown glass balls they love as well. They seem to really like the single port feeders but nothing with very large and deep flowers. I have changed the location of our feeders now, I used to scatter them out and about in the trees but between the raccoons and the large woodpeckers I was getting too many feeders destroyed. So a couple years ago I had hubby put in plant hanger hooks along the edge of the overhang of our front door area. This has reduced the amount of feeders getting destroyed each year and easier for me now to clean and re fill, as by mid summer with more babies hatching I can refill 2 or 3 times a day. The last three years now I have needed to buy at least one more large feeder and have run into major design flaws-at least these have not worked for "my" hummingbirds These feeders have been made by major brands so that makes me more unhappy-and feeders are expensive when I have bought brand new. So I wanted to share what I have learned in case you have moved to where you can enjoy the hummers or just wanting to start feeding them. I just bought this feeder at Lowes by Pennington and something about it I don't think they can get the nectar out-the angle of the flowers is wrong, the flowers are too deep, and the nectar does not flow well. I have even loosened the bottom as much as possible hoping that would give more air flow-that helped a bit but the Hummingbirds just do not like this feeder design-at all

Last year I bought a beautiful handpainted glass one-same problem for some reason the birds just can't seem to get to the nectar-and the year before that I bought a lovely copper one-total design flaw again. I really don't know why this one did not work-but the hummingbirds just did not use this pretty glass one.Last year we searched out some garage sales for feeders and Larry found a big strawberry shaped one-they love the small flowers and it holds lots of nectar-a whole days worth I took this photo a couple evenings ago trying to capture all the hummers lol we get lots just before dark comes in

(photo will enlarge)We also bought this feeder last year at a garage sale-and this is the one they love the best. The flowers are flat to the surface, has a little perch, and easy access to the nectar.

I searched online last night and found this same one at amazon Our hummingbirds love this design, I usually prefer glass to hold the nectar but where these are now the large woodpeckers don't seem to fly in and use them-thank goodness lol they love to peck a large hole in the side to get the nectar. I ordered two more-this style caters to lots of little hummers at one time-if you go to the amazon link you can see a close up of the flower design. This is the flower design I will be purchasing going forward-simple, the flowers can't be pulled out by other birds or animals, and the hummingbirds just love these. My pottery one is the same style a flat flower to the base.I do love the hand blown glass feeders and the hummers seem to love single port feeders allot too (but not those large flower styles) does anyone know where to purchase replacement tubes and the little rubber ends? Mine all need to be replaced now as they have gotten destroyed by critters and woodpeckers over the years.They adore these feeders too, which I need to find more of-again a flat flower and they love the single ones like this.

Those of you that feed hummingbirds-what feeder style have you found that works best??

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A Little About Me

I retired with my husband in the fall of 2003, from 25 years as a phone operator with the phone company.

We moved to our Missouri property here in the ozarks from northern Illinois. I am a mother earther at heart,so love to garden, put up the harvest, hunt our land, and am now exploring my creativity as I finally have some time.

Here is where I share my "doings in ozarks" with life happenings, recipes, and more. I am getting back into dutch oven cooking and being inspired with 1800's recipes.

I have created a new blog Hummingbird Woodland Studio which is where you will find all my weaving, spinning, hand dyeing adventures. Link in upper right hand column